Wave-motor.



No. 388,721. PATENTED "MAY 26, 190s.- s. n.' MILBURY, A WAVE MOTOR, APPLIOATIQ-H FAILED JULY 22, 1907- lllllllllll swell, and as the swell recedes, the weight Of.

vention.

UNIT

ssrn nMiLBURncr'IRAHWAY, NEW JERSEY.-

WAVE-MOTOR, i

no. Beef/2i.-

Speccaton of Letters'Patent.y

Application led July 22, 11907. Serial No. 3845,93?.

useful l/'ave-Motor, of which the following.

is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in motors of the type that derive ,their power from the vertical displacement ofthe water ,of the ocean or other bodies of water due to the waves or swells thereof. 4.

`One object oi the invention. is to provide an improved motor wherein thebuoy or float is free to rise on the crest of the wave o r the buoy or float will operate the motor on its power strokes, thereby insuring. a uniform operation ofthe motor and the devices driven thereby, automatically actuated devices being employed for operatively connecting the niotor and the buoy or float during the descending movementsci the latter, andfor disconnecting these parts to permit a'return motion of the motor, the motor being so constructed that it will automatically compensate for tidal variations so that uniform operation of the motor at all times is insured. r

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the various'novel fea- -tures of construction and combination and arrangementoi parts, which will be hereniafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out 'in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure l is aside elevation oiawave motor constructed in accordance with the present in- Fig. 2- is Va top plan view show-ing the setting for the motor. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the latches which serve to operatively connect and disconnect the vertically movableiioat and'tlie cooperating parts of the motor,A the latcheslbeing shown in position to transmit the' movement oi'v the float. Fig.

Il is a view similar to Fig'. 3 showing the.

latches disengaged from the float. 5 is adetail `view in elevation oi' the latches, the parts being in the relative position shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail view, in elevation, showing'the latches in the relative position indicated `i n Fig. 4.

`Corresponding 'parts `in the several iigures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference. I

In order tojutiliz'e the wave energy tok the @meeneem OFFICE,

Patented May 26,. 190s.

greatest degree; it is preferable to` rovi-'dean improved setting for Vthe motor w ereby the l vertical rise and fall of the surface of the water will be amplified or increased over that of the water at points distantfrom the shore or other abutments that cause'. 'the waves to break, and in order to accomplish this purpose, a pair of convergently arranged jetties land 2 are .employed,.i `n the present instance,y which are arranged ingoximity to ed support a bulk-head or'other relatively f3, the wider ends of the jetties being directed toward the body of water, s o that the Waves entering the space between the jetti'es will.v strike the convergent walls thereof and thereby increase the swell or vertical rise and" Itall of the water at 'the'apex or relatively'.

A similar narrower endof the jetties. sult may be obtained by placingthe iioat of the'. motor in'a'sluicewayor'in proximity to' a breakwater-- The motor shown in the present embodiment of the invention com rises `ailoat 4 which may be of any suitable construction, a lhollowmetal tank being preferably einA-4 ployed as the air space therein: affords the" requisite buoyancy, and the weight of'v the tank is suiiicient 'toacpuate the motor and the devices that are operated thereby, and,

if necessary, the float 'inay be suitably weighted in order'that the maximum power may be derived fromthe motor.

The iioat is arranged at the apex .or toward.

the narrower ends 'of the'etties,in orden-that it may utilize the power of the wavesv at the point where the greatest swell occurs, and

thatthefloat may rise freely relatively to the' cooperating latches, while a locking action between the latter vand the ratchet teeth occurs when the iioat begins 'tol descend.

Any' `suitable' device mayv be .employed for receiving the power from theiioat and trans-- initting it to thedriven elements orthe def vic'esthat it 'isidesired to operate,"alever or walking beam 7 belng shown 1n the vpresent lit is provided with a vertical standard 5 havioo instance which is mounted to turn on a hori-. i ZontalH axis 8 su ported by a relatively fixed standard 9, the atter being pivotally secured to the bulk-head or other stationary support.' @ne end of the walking beam projects `over the'edge of Vthe bulk-head and it' providedy lwith a longitudinalslot through which the standard on the float will operate freely, and mounted .in 4cooperative relation with the said standard are a pair oflatches 1 1 and 12 Whichare arranged to turn about the pivots-,13 and 14, respectively and have portions at their proximate sides adapted to cooperate With the ratchet teeth on thestandard of the float. It is preferable to provide 1U suitable means `fo`r retaining the latches either in or out of cooperative relation with the standard, the device shown in the present instance comprising a helical tension spring 1j having its ends attached to pins 16 l'g---andf'' arranged4 on the outer ends of the -armslaid 19 which are rigid on the re-v \.\spec tive latches', the Jpins connectin the outer-ends off'tliespring being so locate that they will pass to one side ofthe pivots of the 2|), latches w en the latter are turned in one direction, and they will move across the center and to they op ositel side ofthe said pivots when the latc esy are turned intoa reverse position.l

25 `The' latches are provided for the purpose of operatively connecting the ioat to the driven 'elements when the former has been elevated by the swell, .and to `disconnect the parts after the iioat has fallen with the re-` ',30 cedingwater, and the devices for operating the latches to .perform this function automatically duringy the lrising and falling ofthe iloat comprises, in the present instance, a pair of cams 20 which arexed' to an arm 3E, 21 on the relatively -xed upright 422, the

,outer sidesof the cams being relativelyinclined or ltapered and arran ed in the path of the arms 23 and 24 of the atches, upward movement of the outer end of' the lever or l 40 'Walking beam carrying these arms on-the 'latches in engagement With the inclined surfaces'ofthe cams, the latter servin to separate said arms and thereby cause t e latc es to enga e the ratchet teeth on the standard 45 ofthe oat, the spring 15 serving to retain matically released orl disengaged fromthe ratchet teeth' onthes'tandard, the devices wnl in the present instance forreleasmg the/, tches comprising a pair of coperatively on the ruiter end of the supporting arm 2.6 and having oppositely inclinedsurfaces var- 4 60 ranged -in theV path of the projections 27 and 2S-formedon the'outer ends of the latches, the descending movement Vof .the outer end of the lever causing the latches to be operated and to therebyre'lease the float standard.

465 The return movement otthelever or walk- -the device is ca able o cams 25 arranged in lixed relation' sesam ing beam is referably accomplished independently of t e float, the operating arts of the devices driven thereby serving t 's purpose, or, if desirable or necessary, a suitable 'counterweight' 29V may be provided that'Will serve to elevate that end of the lever carryingthe'latches when the latter have been released. v v

Af motor. constructed in accordance with thepresent invention is capable of' operating umps and other mechanisms of various inds, auid Vpressure ump, preferably an air compressor, being s own ,in the present. instance, which embodies a cylinder lfiav-r ing a piston 31 mounted to reciprocate there- 30 in, the lower end of the iston rod 32 being provided with a cross hea 33 whichis mounted to operate between the relatively xed `guides 34 arranged on the base 35 of the p iimdp, the latter being suitablysecured in elation to the bulkhead o r other support. The pumpshown in the present instance is so cons ructed that the descending -movement of the piston serves to draw a charge of fluid, air in the present instance, into the cylinder, and the ascending movement serves tol discharge it therefrom, that is to say, the ascending movement of the pistonconstitutes the Workin strokes of the v pump. Valves of any suita le form and arran ement may be employed, the fluid being disc arged from the pump through theV pipe 37 and the latter, in turn, discharges into a tank or storage reservoir 3S which may be arrangedat any suitable oint. Any suitable 'connection may be emp eyed for connecting the lever of the motor and the pum the means shownin thevpresent instance or accomplishing `this purpose comprising anarm 39 extending radiali from the inner end of the lever and provi ed With a radial slot 40 for receiving a 111311141 onl the cross head ofthe pump, lthe roc g movement of the lever ivot causing a reciprocatory above this movement o the pumpl piston.`

By so constructing t l e motor that the rising of the Waves causes a lifting movement of the float, and the falling movement ofthe float serves to operate the ump onits power stroke, uniform action of t e motor is insured for the reason that there is a constant actuatingv force. Asthe latches disen age the I standard of the oat each time t e latter reaches a predetermined point in its descent,

compensating for variations in the n, eight of the surface of the Water due to tidal conditions, the latches co- .operating With theu per portion of the standard when the tide is ow or ebb and' coperatin with the lower portion thereof Ivvhen the y ti eis high, and by constructingl the jetties in roximity'to .a bulk-head orot er support, y a dim 4foundation is provided for the motor and also the 'devices operated thereby, lthe novel arrangement. of the jetties aliording Y esami ample vertical movement of the Water to effect the operation of the motor.

What is claimed is:h 1. In a Wave motor, the combination `with a vertically movable float, of an element 'to bedriven thereby normally tending to cpe-rate in onedirection, and a device cr'operatively connecting the oat and the said element for operating the latter in a reverse die rection. l

2.' In a Wave motor, the combination with a vertically movable iioat, and an element to be driven thereby, devices for operativeiy connecting the said element and the float for transmitting' the descending movements oi the latter to the said vdriven element, the lafrm ter having Va normal. tendency to operate in a reverse direction.

' 3. In a motor of the character described,

the combination with a vertically movable float havingY a standard thereon provided With a series of ratchet teeth, of an eiement .adapted to he oerated by the said oat, and

a latch carried t ereby and cooperating with the ratchet teeth on the float standard for transmitting movement between the. latter and the said element in one direction and permitting a movement between the .said parts an opposite direction.

4. In a motor of the character described, the combination Witha vertically inovahle lfloat, and an element adapted to he operated thereby, of a device for connecting and disconnecting the float and memher, and means for co erating With said device to connect the sai member and float preparatory to the descending movement of the latter and for disconnecting the said parts after the iioat 'has reached a predetermined point in its descent.

y 5. In a motor of the character described, the combination with a verticall reciprocatory float ,having a standard t ereon provided With sets of ratchet teeth, of a lever pivoted to operate in a vertical plane, coperativel adaptedy to engage theratchet teeth on the iloat standard to transmit theV descending movement ofthe latter to the lever and to vpermit an ascending movement of the float arranged late/ hes on the leverw with ratchetteeth on the float standard, de- Y vices for causing engagement of thelatches with said teeth when the lever operates in one direction, and devices for disengaging the latches Whenthe lever operates in a reverse direction, of a pump having. its piston connected to the said lever andy operating on its power strokes'during the descending movements of the float. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlxed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

, sETH n. MILBURY.

Witnesses:

' HARRY L. SMITH,

CEAS. H.LAMBERT. 

